Have I got orthotics in my running shoes or a golf ball?
Well, I expected to wake up this morning with painful knees, a painful back and painful hips… but there was no pain at all. However, this could have been due to the fact I was so tired having got up at 3.30 in the morning to watch the Ricky Hatton/Floyd Mayweather fight. Now I know this is a running blog, but this fight is surely worth a mention. So much so, I think I’ll write a specific article at some point. Anyway, back to the matter in hand… or rather, the orthotic in shoe!
So, waking up with no new pains was good news. Not so good news was the amount of pain I had in each achilles tendon again this morning. It was another of those mornings where bending the ankles couldn’t actually be done for the first 5 mins of walking. But after a couple of stretches all was OK, and I decided to walk to the local shops to a) get some food for a fry-up, and b) try out the orthotics in my running shoes. OK - so the main purpose was to try out the orthotics, but I thought as I needed to go somewhere anyway, it may as well be the shops, and as it was Sunday I may as well by sausages and bacon for a fry-up!
The first thing I noticed when I put on my running shoes was just how much better they fit me with the orthotics in. They’re just so snug. The second thing I noticed was how the left foot felt real comfy, but the right felt like I had a golf ball under the arch. But anyway, off I went. And I must admit I so had the urge to run. Not a sprint… just a jog. Oh please! I NEED TO RUN AGAIN!
Common sense got the better of me and I walked briskly, and I must say, very comfortably. The main thing is a feeling that I’m just ‘in line’. My knees feel like they’re pointing forward, and I feel like I’m pushing off equally with all toes. I just feel taller too. These great feelings probably explain why I felt so much like running.
The golf ball feeling did get less, but after comparing the two orthotics side by side I can see that they’re certainly not identical, so I guess it’s no surprise that they feel slightly different from each other. I’ll give them a few days though - as I’m definitely being quite picky and conscious of everything that’s happening in my shoes right now!
I also went for a swim this afternoon - which was great. Time flew by. Stayed in the pool for about 40 mins and pretty much swam all the time. Breathing felt good, I felt relaxed and strong. I may even be close to moving from breast stroke to front crawl!
I must admit I do feel a bit tight now, so I’ll make sure I do some good stretches tonight. I’ll wear my running shoes/orthotics when I do them though as I want to make sure my achilles/calves are in line when I stretch.
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(This entry was posted on December 9th, 2007.)